12/23/24
August 10, 2007
The Age of Discovery is over.: What are eight Tour de France wins worth? Not much, it seems, in the current climate: Team Discovery is set to disband at the end of the year when its sponsorship deal ends, and directeur sportif Johan Bruyneel will retire from pro cycling.
I have heard about this Slipstream team idea. I hope this is legit and does not backfire. The ultra-cynical side of me says this sounds like a way for these guys to find out how to beat the system. I really and truly hope not, but we have been let down so many times already. The not-so cynical me thinks this is great and would support more efforts like it. Remains to be seen if they can be successful on both parts: staying clean and on course success. I don't know how interested they will be in Discovery guys. I am waiting to see how Team Discovery folding and the other casualties will effect next years Tour. Will it be a small field and wide open? Or will it change at all? Will another sponsor sweep up the remains of Discovery? All good things to those who wait.
posted by chuck'n'duck at 06:45 PM on August 10, 2007
Given the hype about being clean, I really hope, for the sake the sport itself, that they really are who they say they are. If one, just ONE team member tests positive for ANY banned substance in the next couple years or so, cycling will tank completely. Go Slipsteam!!
posted by NerfballPro at 09:28 PM on August 10, 2007
At this point, how many people even give the cyclists the benefit of the doubt? With the cloud of doping hanging over the entire pro sport, and sponsors staying away as a result, how long before the pro level of things completely degenerates?
posted by worldcup2002 at 09:38 AM on August 11, 2007
As one exits, so enters another. Introducing the new American team, and great white hope for professional cycling: Team Slipstream. They've been around for a couple of years already riding the US circuit and at a low level in Europe, but will be stepping up to the big time next year, having signed David Millar, Magnus Backstedt, Julian Dean and Christian Vande Velde. There are also 26 unemployed cyclists as of today, so it wouldn't surprise me if they took some of the Disco boys too. More importantly, they are the biggest advocates of clean cycling... ever. We've heard that before, I know, but this time they mean it.